Monday, December 8, 2008

A NY appellate court has rejected a BroomeCounty trial judge’s denial of a name-change petition for a transgender woman. Although a court order isn’t required for a name change, it can be crucial for transgender individuals seeking official documents such as driver's licenses, social security cards and other forms of identification that reflect their gender identity.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a legal challenge to “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” can proceed.

An appeal to a Miami judge's ruling that Florida's same-sex adoption ban is unconstitutional will be filed on behalf of the state Department of Children & Families.

Socially conservative Anglicans in the U.S. and Canada are proceeding with plans to create their own branch of the church, despite warnings that official recognition could take years. The split from the Episcopal church comes in part due to the conservative members’ opposition to same-sex marriage.

The AP profiles the difficult life and untimely death of Duanna Johnson, the Memphis transgender woman who was beaten by the city's police and recently murdered on a street corner near her home.

The New York Times has an interesting story about the town of Juchitán in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, where the local people are accepting of residents they call "muxes" - transgender women who express their gender identities in many different ways.

In two separate cases, a US Appeals Court has found that gay men from Iran and Guatemala who have been denied asylum here should have their cases reheard.